Studying in the UK: List of must-have and optional items to bring before traveling

The first thing I want to say is that shopping in the UK is very convenient. Many girls may have heard of Boots. It has the same concept as Watsons in China, and operates Health & Beauty. It has many products, is comprehensive and is cheap. There is also the similar SuperDrug that competes with it.

Daily necessities/vegetable and meat chain supermarkets such as Tesco, Morrisons, and electrical direct sales Argos are all cheap and good quality.

Compared with Paris or some cities in the United States, large supermarket chains are located far away from the city and cannot be reached without driving. For example, Carrefour, the closest store to the city center in Paris, is equivalent to Outside of Central...there is no such thing in the UK. These stores are all scattered in the city center, making shopping very convenient.

All European and American brands are cheap here, such as Procter & Gamble, Unilever, and L'Oreal. However, many Japanese brands are less popular, such as Sophie, Kanebo, and Mentholatum.

1. Toiletries

There is absolutely no need to bring:

Facial cleanser, shampoo, shower gel, toothpaste, sanitary napkin, washing powder, detergent , all kinds of paper towels, all kinds of cups.

High-end products are much cheaper in the UK:

Shaving razors, razors.

It is necessary to bring:

Comb? Useful wooden combs and ivory combs are not available or very expensive in the UK.

Toothbrush? Electric toothbrushes are popular in the UK, and the selection of ordinary toothbrushes is very small.

Towels and bath towels? Good quality is more expensive. In fact, good quality in China is not cheap~ But my family often stocks some good products obtained through welfare or gifts, so bring them over.

Manicure set? UK is more expensive and the quality is quite average.

A few specific examples:

Boots

L’Oreal shampoo (400mL/?2), Dove shower gel 300mL/?3, Colgate toothpaste.

Always ultra-long night sanitary napkins 12 pieces/?1, of course, not as useful as Sophie’s.

A PHILIPS women’s shaver: 1k+ domestically, 3 pounds when Boots is on sale.

Tesco:

A huge box of washing powder.

2. Health products and medicines

It is not necessary to bring:

Vitamins, cod liver oil, protein powder, essential oils?

?The products of Boots and H&B are plentiful, good and cheap. They are much cheaper and better than those sold by pyramid schemes such as Amway.

Nian Ci'an Chuanbei loquat ointment, Tiger Balm, Cooling Oil, Fengyoujing.

? Most Chinese supermarkets sell them. In fact, it doesn’t matter if you memorize the last few items. Loquat paste really takes up too much space.

What you need to bring:

Eye drops? There are few types in UK and they are not very easy to use.

Yunnan Baiyao, Jiangdong Jianweixiaoshi Tablets, Watermelon Frost Lozenges, Isatis Root, Vitamin C Yinqiao Tablets? Such proprietary Chinese medicines are still useful in the motherland.

Various antibiotics, antipyretics, Baijiahei? You need to make an appointment to see a doctor, and you have to queue for at least 2-3 days. It is better to prepare such emergency drugs.

3. Bedding and furniture

Whether you live in a student dormitory or a private rental, complete furniture and bedding are provided.

Silk quilts are very practical. Some school dormitories turn on the heating very loudly in winter, but the UK is not very hot in summer. In comparison, towel quilts are useless. And silk quilts are rarely sold in the UK.

UK’s three-piece bed sets, quilts, etc. are of good quality. (Remember where the first textile machine was invented?)

4. Kitchen utensils

Rice cooker: The rice cooker sold by Argos costs ?10-?40. I bought one for ?10 Yes, there is nothing good and nothing bad about it.

Kitchen knives: Large and small knives? 2-10 each. You can bring a Chinese machete, but nothing else is necessary.

Chopsticks: Of course you need to bring this.

Bowls and plates: Dormitory kitchens and private rental houses will provide them, but the number varies from place to place. Ceramic products here in the UK are mainly ceramic products, which are not cheap. It is recommended to bring some plastic ones from home, they are easy to wash and not easy to fall.

5. Stationery

UK stationery is very expensive. A box of transparent glue costs ?3, and a solid glue costs ?3. Paper products are even more expensive. If you look at a small tattered notebook worth ?1, it is already on sale at a special price. Staplers and punching machines are 4-5 times more expensive in China.

The variety is quite complete, but I haven’t seen anyone selling double-sided tape since I’ve been here for a year.

However, high-end products such as Mitsubishi are not more expensive than domestic ones. The quality is also very good.

A calculator is a must for exams. I haven’t paid attention to the UK price. If you have something useful at home, bring it.

I saw some students talking about the problem of notepads:

Binders? 1-3 per shell, the replacement inner pages are very cheap,? 2 in a pile.

What kind of schedule book? This kind is crazy expensive... If you like small notebooks, bring one here... Don't be like me? Buy a shabby notebook for 10 =P.

So, bring whatever you need frequently. It doesn’t take up much space anyway.

6. Ingredients and dry goods

Many Hong Kong people have immigrated to the UK, so all the major Chinese Super Leagues have a wide range of desserts and soups such as white fungus, lotus seeds, polygonatum odorifera, red bean paste, etc.

There is no shortage of Laoganma hot sauce, Teochew chili oil, and sweet noodle sauce. There are also many McCormick mapo tofu sauces, steamed pork ribs and other ingredients.

Instant noodles and spicy noodles are 20p-60p per bag, with a wide range of varieties. But there are less kelp, scallops, star anise and the like.

7. Others

Computer bag? Belkin’s good style is only 14-20.

High-end wireless keyboard/mouse? Logitech MX620 wireless mouse, priced at RMB 29 on amazon.uk and RMB 447 on JD.com.

Headphones? High-end headphones (such as Sennheiser) are not expensive to buy in the UK. For low-end headphones with microphones, it is more cost-effective to buy them from Philips or Somic in China.

What is a windproof and warm cotton jacket that is particularly useful in cold weather in the UK? From the cheap Trespass to the slightly better NorthFace, they are all cheap and high-quality products from the UK.

Basketball shoes, tennis shirts? Of course they are cheaper in UK.

Adapter plug? The prices on both sides are about the same.

Electrical outlet? The UK is super expensive. It is recommended to bring one, but pay attention to whether you plan to use it to plug in British standard or winning electrical appliances.

What I especially want to talk about here is the alarm clock! I especially like to use a small electronic clock with a button battery + LCD screen in China! It is small and cheap and costs more than ten yuan apiece... It is sold here in the UK. It’s expensive, it’s made in China, or it’s domestic and inferior =.= Someone brought one from China and it was stolen by someone else... Tears!

8. Clothes

This is a matter of opinion.

If you usually go shopping at Supermarket/Pacific without blinking an eye, then UK clothes must be cheap and high-quality for you. TOPSHOP and RiverIsland are brands loved by young men and women, and they are cheaper than domestic Levis and Lady House.

Everyone is familiar with Zara and HM, and the prices are about the same. Sports brands such as Nike, Northface, and TimberIand must be cheap and have many styles in the UK. Not to mention Burberry, Chanel and the like.

If you don’t like to go shopping, just wear something you can wear. Bringing 3 T-shirts, 1 windproof and warm jacket, 2 sweaters, and 2 pairs of jeans from China should be enough for the Christmas sale season. If you need any clothes, you can buy them later, they'll be cheaper.

When it’s cold in the UK, there are more heaters indoors. Therefore, it is best to wear single clothes that can be matched with multiple layers and are decent when worn outside.

9. Special instructions for MM

UK Bra... looks very good, and the size is not small. Some people are happy with it and others are worried about it =P It is quite cheap. Good quality.

Primark is famous for its cheap clothing, but the quality of its pajamas/bathrobes/slippers is still very good, and they are always made of cotton and are always comfortable to wear.

Most of the Chinese students in the UK are masters in economics and management, and they are a mixed bag. In such a program, the majority are usually Chinese and the majority are women. I know some girls and I make do with my studies. Every day I spend 8G+ shopping with my Chinese sisters.

I don’t intend to comment on anything, but it’s more meaningful to come abroad and spend my parents’ money to travel to various parts of the UK and Europe. I suggest you girls try to join more clubs when you first come here to practice speaking.

Before coming, you can bring a Chinese version of "Europe" by Lonely Planet (the reference book seems convenient, right?), Chrismas, Easter, and visit Europe more during the summer vacation. Spain, France, and Greece are all good choices.

PS:

In addition to bringing a network cable when you first arrive, you can use it as soon as you arrive. All kinds of cheap electronic products can be found online. Don’t be fooled by stores such as currys. I was horrified by the high price tag. If you don’t trust those various websites, amazon.uk has a good reputation around the world, and you can get free shipping for purchases of more than 50 yuan.

However, shopping on Amazon requires a local bank account, and it takes about half a month to apply for a bank account.

I once took a fancy to a set of textbooks, which cost 80 pounds in the UK, while the domestic photocopied version of the original textbook was only 70RMB. You can also ask Dangdang to mail it to the UK, which is equivalent to 1.5 times the original price of the book, but I don’t know when or what month it will be delivered.